For many years certain food products, such as baked goods, cookies, coffee etc., have been packaged in reclosable containers so that after opening of the container to remove some of the product, the container may be reclosed to maintain the freshness of the remainder of the product.
Such reclosable containers are commonly the so-called "tin-tie" bags. A thin metal strip covered with paper is bonded by the bag supplier to the top of the bag with the two ends extending about an inch beyond the lateral side edges of the bag. When the product is loaded into the bag the top is folded over two or three times and secured from reopening by folding under the extending ends of the tin-tie strips. Not all tin-tie strips are paper covered wire but the principle of operation of all such strips is the same.
When the consumer opens the bag, the strip ends first are unfastened by bending them out and then the top of the bag is unrolled. When sufficient product has been removed from the bag, the bag can be reclosed by reversing the opening procedure.
The tin-tie type bag closure system, while widely used, has several disadvantages for the bag and product manufacturers, the retailer and the consumer. Thus, the tin-tie closure is attached to the bag by the bag manufacturer, adding considerably to the cost of the bag. The increased thickness at one end of the bag and the projection of the wire tabs beyond each side of the bag increases the cost of packing and shipping.
The nature of the closure does not lend itself to automatic bag closing operations and it is necessary in most cases for the product manufacturer to close the bag completely on a manual basis. One operator is able to close about 5 or 6 bags a minute, leading to a very labor intensive operation where a high output is required, and consequently higher costs to the consumer.
Since the closure operation is purely manual and hence a human element is present in the efficiency of closure and owing to the resilient nature of the tin-tie closure, there is always a small percentage of bags which are not securely closed and which open during handling and shipping.
Such partially or completely open bags present an untidy appearance, distraction of product appeal and adversely affect display appearance and, in some cases product may be spilled out, leading to further problems. The partial or complete opening of the bag often leads to product deterioration. While such open bags normally should be returned to the manufacturer for credit, itself an inconvenience, often the retail outlet will reclose the open bag, an added inconvenience, possibly leading to the sale of stale products to the consumer, with consequential consumer dissatisfaction.
When the tin-tie closures are opened or closed, the wire strip may snap off with the hazard of injury to the consumer, thereby exposing the product manufacturer to the potential of liability claims, damage to brand image and loss of sales.
There are a variety of possible modes of utilization of the tin-tie system to effect bag closure and some consumers have difficulty in determining whether to fold the bag down and bend the wire tabs up or down, which may lead to ineffecient reclosure, with consequent impairment of product on continued storage.
The tin-tie closure does not result in a factory-sealed package, but rather a readily-opened and-reclosed package. This renders the package susceptible to pilferage of product therefrom, especially at the retail level.